Researchers build a cheap camera that sees what we can’t
Normally, our eyes can see things better than our cameras, which is why those smartphone shots of a full moon at night are so bad. Hyperspectral imaging is a way to fix that, since it can capture parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, like near-infra-red light, that humans are incapable of seeing. Unfortunately, these cameras are hideously expensive, so you’re more likely to find one on a military satellite than in Best Buy. Thankfully, a team made up of members from the University of Washington and Microsoft Research think that they’ve been able to create a hyperspectral camera smartphone accessory that would cost just $50. It’s not just useful for improving your Instagrams, either, since these devices can tell you if fruit has gone bad, peer into your body and even find mineral deposits underground.
Washington and Microsoft’s version is called Hypercam, and will capture a series of 17 images at various points of the spectrum. Then, much like a HDR image, software will mash them together in the hope of finding things that wouldn’t be visible otherwise. There’s a security element to all of this, too, since these cameras can spot the structure of someone’s veins and skin pattern — similar to Fujitsu’s palm vein sensing technology. Researchers have also used the gear to scan avocados and were able to tell with a 94 percent success rate if they were ripe enough to eat or not. Admittedly, it’s not the first time that we’ve seen “cheap” hyperspectral cameras: the University of Vienna was able to knock one up with a DSLR and some PVC pipe back in 2012.
Now that the team has shown off its findings, however, it’s back to the lab in order to try and refine the technology some more. For instance, the gear doesn’t work particularly well in bright light, and there’s still the issue of making it small enough to clip onto a smartphone. Whatever happens, the idea of using your phone to check if food is safe to eat is enough to get us excited on this chilly October day.
[Image Credit: University of Washington]
Source: University of Washington
Your PC may update to Windows 10 if you don’t pay attention
Microsoft really, really wants you on Windows 10. We noticed last month that it was downloading the optional Windows 10 updater whether you asked for it (and had space for it) or not. Now it’s actually pre-ticking the update box, as Ars Technica reports. That means if you’re not watching closely and just hit “OK” to the latest updates, Windows Update will go ahead and install the whole shebang — all 3GB to 6GB of it — on your PC. While it’s a worthy upgrade, there are myriad reasons that folks may not want to do that just yet, including privacy changes and the lack of a free DVD player.
While Redmond’s decision to pre-tick the box seems presumptuous, the company told Ars Technica that the whole thing was, in fact, an error. “As part of our effort to bring Windows 10 to existing genuine Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 customers… (the update) option was checked as default; this was a mistake and we are removing the check.” Still, it wouldn’t hurt to take a peek just to make sure, or you may get a rude surprise when you return from your coffee break.
Via: Ars Technica
‘PC Does What?’ commercials take you right to the danger zone
That “PC Does What?” ad campaign from the likes of Dell, HP, Intel, Lenovo and Microsoft isn’t a rumor anymore. As Business Insider notes, each of the five spots highlights a different aspect of modern Windows PCs including their svelte designs, gaming prowess and convertible configurations. The series of 30 second ads will start airing October 19th, but if you’re the impatient type you can hop past the break and see them embedded below.
[Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Via: Business Insider
Source: Intel (YouTube)
Microsoft’s ‘Device Night’ lets you go hands-on with its new products
Microsoft has a handful of new devices and wants you to experience them as soon as possible. Similar to what it is doing with HoloLens, the company’s taking recently announced products like its Surface Book, Surface Pro 4, Lumia 950 XL and second-gen Microsoft Band on a tour across the US and Canada. But unlike the mixed reality headset’s event, this one will be open to the general public, not only developers. Aside from being able to try out the hardware, Microsoft’s also going to have Q&A sessions, giveaways and, of course, food and drinks. The 2015 Device Night kicks off in Boston and San Francisco on October 19th, followed by cities including Philadelphia, Vancouver, Dallas, Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Chicago. You’ll need to register before attending, which you can do right here.
Source: Microsoft
Skype gets shareable conversation links for easy invites
Need to invite someone to join a Skype session? Well, that task just got a lot easier. The video-chatting app added a new feature that lets you invite folks to join a conversation with a shareable link. All you have to do is nab the URL, send it to the person and they can click it to join. What’s more, the invitee doesn’t need a Skype account to do so. Clicking on a shared link can employ Skype on the web as a guest, but it’ll still offer access to messaging and both video and voice calls. If you’re familiar with sharing links to Dropbox or OneDrive files, you have an idea of how this works. It sounds like a simple addition, but it’s sure to save time, and allow people who aren’t using the app to easily participate as needed.
Source: Skype
Microsoft’s Transparency Hub tracks surveillance requests
Microsoft has released transparency figures for the first half of the year and launched a new site to keep all the reports in once place. The Transparency Hub is very similar to Google’s Transparency Site, and brings together law enforcement demands and national security orders. It’s also the first time Microsoft is showing requests to remove content, both by governments and via Europe’s ‘right to be forgotten‘ laws. Redmond is also using the hub to show how it’s resisting efforts by governments and police to get at customer data to the full extent of laws, both in the US and abroad.
According to the reports, the trend for data requests has ticked up a bit. Microsoft received 35,228 requests for information from law enforcement around the world, up 14 percent over the second half of 2014. Nearly three-quarters of those came from the US, UK, Turkey, France and Germany. The software giant rejected 4,383 requests for not meeting legal requirements, up nearly double from the previous period. It also disclosed customer content in only 3 percent of cases.
As for US national security orders, Microsoft must wait at least six months to reveal (very vague) figures, so the report is from the second half of last year. It received less than 1,000 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) orders affecting between 18-19,000 accounts, and less than 1,000 National Security Letters (NSLs) from the FBI.
Content removal requests fall into three categories: government, copyright removal and ‘right to be forgotten’ requests. Governments asked Microsoft to pull content from Bing, OneDrive and MSN a total of 186 times, and it accepted the requests 165 times. The bulk (165) came from China. Microsoft complied with 92 percent of the nearly 25 million copyright takedown requests, and agreed to exactly half of the 10,337 right to be forgotten demands.
Microsoft said it requires that requests for content removal be in writing and informs users when search content has been removed. It also limits the removal of search results to country-specific versions of Bing, something countries like France are fighting. It’s hard to say how much people actually care about this stuff, but at least Microsoft, Apple, Google and other tech companies are making it easier to find the info. Of course, the companies might not be doing it at all if not for bruising they took the Edward Snowden revelations.
Source: Microsoft
Xbox and YouTube Gaming are teaming up for the ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ launch with a 6-hour live broadcast
Xbox and YouTube’s new Gaming initiative will be partnering up for the Halo 5: Guardians launch with a six hour long celebration. You’ll want to mark your calendars, as Microsoft has a lot of great things planned for this event.
The broadcast will begin on October 26 at 6pm EDT, and will last for six hours until Halo 5: Guardians officially launches on retail shelves all across North America. This live event will feature exclusive looks at Halo 5, celebrity appearances, live interviews with the 343 Industries developers, and much, much more.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Launch parties usually take place all around the world for a release like this, but Microsoft is shaking things up with its own celebration streamed live to anyone in the world. Anyone plan on attending?
Full press release below.
Xbox and YouTube team up for one-of-a-kind “Halo 5: Guardians” launch celebration
“Halo 5: Live” broadcast and global fan events commemorate biggest game launch in Xbox history.
REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 15, 2015 — Halo fans around the world will join together on Oct. 26 to celebrate the global launch of “Halo 5: Guardians,” one of the most anticipated games of 2015. Streaming exclusively on YouTube, “Halo 5: Live,” a six-hour live broadcast, will kick off at 6 p.m. EDT on Oct. 26 and culminate at midnight when “Halo 5: Guardians” goes on sale in North America. The broadcast will feature exclusive gameplay reveals, celebrity appearances, live interviews with the 343 Industries development team and much more.
“Halo 5: Guardians” is the most ambitious addition to the $4.6 billion sci-fi franchise to date, bringing together a gripping story, deep character narrative and teamwork-based gameplay. As a mysterious and unstoppable force threatens the universe, the Master Chief has gone AWOL and the UNSC’s elite man hunter, Spartan Locke, is tasked with hunting him down. As the pursuit unfolds, players can band together in a four-player cooperative epic that spans three worlds, or challenge friends and rivals in new multiplayer modes.1
“‘Halo 5: Guardians’ is the game we have always dreamed of making, and it was important to us that Halo fans in every corner of the world could join us in an epic-scale launch celebration,” said Bonnie Ross, corporate vice president and head of 343 Industries. “Whether they tune into the live broadcast on YouTube or come out and celebrate with us in person at one of our global fan events, we hope Halo Nation will help make ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ the biggest game launch in history.
The “Halo 5: Live” broadcast will connect millions of fans around the world, allowing viewers to watch, comment and virtually participate in multiple launch celebrations held in key international cities. Microsoft is reinventing the traditional video game launch, inviting fans to join in the celebration, no matter where they are located. Festivities currently planned include the following:
* The world premiere of “Halo: The Fall of Reach” episode one, the new animated series that tells the dramatic tale of the origin and intrigue behind the SPARTAN program that propelled characters like the Master Chief and Dr. Catherine Halsey into the pantheon of Halo lore.2
* The first Xbox roundtable featuring the writers behind “Halo 5: Guardians” and Nathan Fillion, the voice of Spartan Buck.
* Special documentaries will get up close and personal with Halo superfans around the world, showcasing what makes Halo Nation unlike any other community in gaming.
* A lucky fan in Australia will play “Halo 5: Guardians” from a helicopter flying over Sydney, as gameplay is broadcasted via a screen suspended from a second helicopter.
* In London, iconic entertainment venue The Roundhouse will transform into a “Halo 5: Guardians” celebration, with a friendly tournament between four teams of YouTube creators and fans. U.K. fans can win a chance to attend the London event by visitinghttp://bit.ly/1REsmt6.
* In celebration of a Halo superfan from Japan who has played over 10,000 hours of Halo, Master Chief and Agent Locke action figurines will travel to the edge of space for the most epic Gamertag selfie.
* A Taiwanese cosplayer will bring his passion for the Master Chief to life when he collaborates with one of the hottest jewelry designers in Australia to recreate the Master Chief’s helmet with more than 30,000 Swarovski crystals. The one-of-a-kind helmet will be unveiled during the show and kick-start a chance for gamers around the world to bid on it for charity.
* In New Zealand, Halo fans will converge at the close of the Armageddon Expo for multiplayer sessions, cosplay displays and more.
* In Hong Kong, a real-life course inspired by the new “Halo 5: Guardians” competitive Arena multiplayer mode, “Breakout,” will be constructed, putting Halo fans into real 4v4 combat.
* In New York City, a special fan destination will take place at the brand new flagship store Microsoft at Fifth Ave. and 53rd St., located in the heart of Manhattan and culminating in the midnight launch of “Halo 5: Guardians.”
“Millions of our fans around the world are waiting in anticipation of the launch of ‘Halo 5: Guardians,’ so we wanted to do something special for them and launch a video game in a way that has never been done before,” said Aaron Greenberg, head of games marketing for Xbox. “We are excited to stream the ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ launch exclusively through YouTube so fans can share in a New Year’s Eve-like countdown moment together.”
Special fan events will take place at all Microsoft stores. All stores will be streaming the “Halo 5: Live” broadcast and are offering an exclusive Halo poster with a $25 purchase, early gameplay and more for the midnight launch of “Halo 5: Guardians.” Fans can also enter a sweepstakes to win a trip for two to Seattle for a tour of the Xbox and 343 studios. More information can be found on theMicrosoft store Facebook page.
The full “Halo 5: Live” launch day programming lineup will be announced soon. Additional “Halo 5: Live” details can be found athttps://www.xbox.com/Halo5Live.
Come comment on this article: Xbox and YouTube Gaming are teaming up for the ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ launch with a 6-hour live broadcast
Microsoft Dialer for Android said to replace your phone app, coming later this year
Microsoft has been learning to play well with others under Satya Nadella’s leadership. Though the tech giant sees Google as one of its main competitors, they haven’t hesitated to get their software in the hands of as many Android users as possible. They recently released apps Send, Translator and Arrow Launcher for Android. In addition, they have acquired popular Android app Echo Lockscreen, as well as adding Android Studio and Eclipse support to their Visual Studio Emulator.
What’s next? If the latest rumors are to be believed, Microsoft is getting ready to launch Dialer, an application that is currently said to be under testing in India. What does it do? The app is being made by the Skype team, so it’s obvious communications will be the main focus, but it’s said to apply some very interesting features on top of simple voice calls.
For starters, users will be able to call each other via slower networks, such as 2G and 3G. One will also be able to replace the phone app with Dialer, allowing for making regular ol’ calls. Aside from voice communications, Dialer will use the power of the internet to help users find relevant information on people, offices, nearby locations and public transportation. Real-time information about the caller and blocking capabilities will also be provided.
It seems like Dialer will be some sort of phone app on steroids, and it’s definitely something us Android folk would love to at least test out. Rumors say Dialer is set for release during the second week of December, but a public beta of the app could go live in November. And get this – this is only for Android. It seems the Windows Phone version won’t come until early 2016.
Is this the kind of functionality you guys are looking for in a phone app? It certainly seems like our current dialers don’t do much. There are alternatives like Truecaller around, but being backed up by a company like Microsoft will really make a difference in popularity.
It’s just a matter of actually getting to test Dialer and see how good it is. You can be sure we will be playing with Microsoft’s upcoming Dialer as soon as we can. Meanwhile, hit the comments and let us know what you think of the idea.
PC industry unites to convince you that it’s still relevant
It’s no secret that the PC industry is hurting. Sales are down, in no small part because the PC itself isn’t as important as it used to be — why get a basic computer when your phone is frequently good enough? However, that isn’t stopping some heavyweights in the field from making a bid for relevancy. Recode understands that Dell, HP, Intel, Lenovo and Microsoft are uniting for a “PC Does What?” ad campaign that shows what newer computers can do. It’ll reportedly run in China and the US, and it’ll likely include a “sizable” marketing blitz. Don’t be shocked if you see ads plastered all over the web and TV.
There have been general PCs-are-great ads before. Just look at Microsoft’s “I’m a PC” pitch from 2008 if you need proof. However, this would mark the first time that several of these companies (including direct rivals) have banded together. The unity would represent a tacit admission that the PC market has diminished — it wouldn’t otherwise need a boost to its public image, would it? It’s hard to say if the campaign will be effective, but the promos won’t hurt when there’s a wave of interesting new PCs arriving at the same time.
[Image credit: Simon Dawson/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Source: Recode
Windows 10 now does Windows within Windows within Windows
Call it Windows Inception. Microsoft has revealed that the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview supports nested virtualization, which lets you launch a virtual machine within another virtual machine — yes, you can run Windows inside of Windows inside of Windows. The trick is a new feature that supports hardware-based virtualization within a primary virtual machine, providing for that one extra layer. There are limits, of course. Features like dynamic memory won’t work, and nesting currently requires an Intel processor with VT-x support (most chips from the past several years will do). So long as everything lines up, though, you too can create a hall of mirrors effect on your PC — even if it doesn’t serve much of a practical purpose.
Source: Virtualization Blog
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